Hammer.



No. 675,823. Patentad Juno 4, 190:. c. n. EDMAN Decd.

I A. EDIIAIDS, 'siratrbn' Amman.

, (Application filed Doc. 2, 1899.) (No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES II. EDMANDS, OE SAUGUS, MASSACHUSETTS; MARY A. EDMANDS ADNIINISTRATRIX OF SAID CHARLES II. EDMANDS, DECEASED.

HAMMER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N 0. 675,823, dated June 4, 1901.

Application filed December 2, 1899. Serial No. 738,961. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. EDMANDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Saugus, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hammers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to an improvement in hammers.

The object of the present invention is to provide nail-driving implements with a nailholding device by means of which a nail may be started in the wood at the desired place without holding the nail with the fingers-as, for example, in boarding the side of a house it is frequently desirable to hold the board with one hand and to drive the nail with the other.

The invention consists in the hammer hereinafter described and claimed.

Figure 1 is a side view, Fig. 2 is an end view, and Fig. 3 is abottom view, of an ordinary hand-hammer fitted with my improved nail-holding device.

My improvement consists of a hammer or other nail-driving implement provided with a nail-holding device projected rearwardly from the head adapted to hold a nail in a position to be started by a light blow of the hammer, and which nail-holding device is preferably projected rearwardly from the base of the nose of the hammer and adapted to engage the under side of the head of the nail and press it yieldingly against the socket or handle of the hammer, thereby holding the nail substantially parallel with the head.

In the illustrated embodiment of my invention the nail-holding device is shown as supported by a base 1, which is curved to correspond with the curvature of the nose 2 and which it fits and to which it is adapted to be secured by any suitable means as by a screw. I prefer to make the nail-holding device 4 and its base 1 of one integral piece of metal and to form the base with an initial curve having a radius of curvature less than the radius of curvature of the nose 2 of the hammer to which it is to be secured and to attach the base to the nose of the hammer by means of the screw 3, whereby when the screw is tightened the base will be sprung so as to fit the nose of the hammer and to be thereby securely held in place with relation thereto.

I prefer to form the nail-holding device with a slot 5, tapered in the direction of the head of the hammer, so as to adapt it to receive and hold nails of varying sizes.

In using a hammer provided with my improved nail-holding device the nail is thrust into the slot with the head of the nail between the nail-holding device and the handle or socket of the ham mer-head, so that the device shall engage the underside of the head of the nail and press it against the socket 6 or handle, as the case may be, and afford an efficient support therefor. By reason of the fact that the nail-holding device is made of spring metal and presses the head with an elastic pressure against the socket or handle, when the starting blow is struck the nail is immediately disengaged from the nail-holding device. This action results from the fact that the slot opens rearwardly and the center of percussion of the hammer is in advance of the point of application to the nail of the inertia of the hammer, whereby the jar incident to the starting blow operates effectually to disengage the nail from the nail-holding device. I am aware that it has been proposed to provide hammers with devices for holding a nail while it is being started in the material into which it is to be driven; but such devices differ essentially from my improvement and in the following respects: First, I believe I am the first to combine with a hammer or similar instrument a nail holding device which by the nail starting below automatically disengages the nail from the device; second, I believe I am the first to hold anail by spring-pressure upon the under side of the head of the nail, and, third, I believe I am the first to provide a hammer with a nailholding device having a tapering slot which tapers toward the head end of the hammer.

S priu g-actuated jaws have been used to engage the shank of the nail and to hold it against the socket. Solid jaws have been used and various other contrivances in which the nail was intended to be held in proper position for the initial blow; but in none of these devices is the nail freed from the nail-holding member by the blow of the hammer, there being required a separate and distinct movement in order to disengage the nail from the nail-holding device. Furthermore, in some of the devices of the prior art the nail-holding device was attached to the hammer-handle and not to the hammer-head, and so when it was desired to replace a broken handle it was necessary to remove the nail-holding device from the handle and to replace it upon the new handle when inserted in the head, which objection is entirely obviated in my construction.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States-- 1. In a hammer, the combination with the hammer-head, of a nail-holding device projeeted rearwardly from the base of the nose of the hammer and supported by a base secured to the rear of the hammer-nose, substantially as described.

2. In a hammer, the combination with the hammer-head, of a nail-holding device, projected rearwardly from the base of the nose ofthe hammer and supported byabase formed ham mer-head, of a spring-metal nail-holding device secured to said hammer and projected rearwardly from the hammer-head, adapted to engage the under side of the head of the nail, to grip it With an elastic pressure and to release the nail automatically by the start ing blow, substantially as described.

I. In a hammer, the combination with a hammer-head, of a nail-holding device, provided with a slot adapted to engage the under side of the head of the nail, and supported by a base having a radius of curvature less than the radius of curvature of the nose of the hammer, and means for securing the base to the nose of the hammer, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES II. EDMANDS.

Witnesses:

HORACE VAN EVEREN, T. HART ANDERSON. 

